(CNN) - After weeks of anticipation, the leaders of American's largest umbrella group of nuns met Tuesday with the Vatican to address charges the nuns had gone rogue.

At the Vatican, Sisters Pat Farrell and Janet Mock, president and executive director respectively of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, sat down with Cardinal William Levada, head of Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith - the church's doctrinal watchdog group, and Archbishop Peter Sartain of Seattle, who is charged with bringing the nuns back in line with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Vatican.

The sisters and church officials met to discuss a doctrinal assessment finding the influential group of American nuns had strayed too far from the church's teachings.

In a statement afterward, the nuns said, "The meeting had been requested by the LCWR to address what the conference considered deficiencies in the process and the results of the doctrinal assessment of the organization released by the CDF in April."

“It was an open meeting and we were able to directly express our concerns to Cardinal Levada and Archbishop Sartain,” Farrell said in a statement from the nuns' group.

In a statement, the Vatican said, "The meeting provided the opportunity for the Congregation and the LCWR officers to discuss the issues and concerns raised by the doctrinal assessment in an atmosphere of openness and cordiality."

The Vatican reiterated that under canon law, which dictates how the church operates, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious "remains under the supreme direction of the Holy See in order to promote common efforts among the individual member institutes and cooperation with the Holy See and the local Conference of Bishops."

Cardinal William Levada, head of the Catholic Church's doctrinal watchdog group, had called the face-to-face meeting critical

"The purpose of the doctrinal assessment is to assist the LCWR in this important mission by promoting a vision of ecclesial communion founded on faith in Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Church as faithfully taught through the ages under the guidance of the Magisterium," the statement continued.

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious is a group of 1,500 nuns who lead more than 300 religious orders. Together, its members represent 80% of the 57,000 nuns across the United States.

The group's board met two weeks ago in Washington for the first time to discuss the assessment, saying it “was based on unsubstantiated accusations and (was) the result of a flawed process that lacked transparency.”

“Moreover, the sanctions imposed were disproportionate to the concerns raised and could compromise (the nuns’) ability to fulfill their mission,” the group said in a statement.

The lengthy doctrinal assessment, released in April, listed a number of concerns church officials had with the sisters.

It said that at an annual gathering of the group, guest speakers who preached "radical feminism" went unchallenged. The report also alleged sins of omission, saying the nuns were focused too heavily on social justice and not enough on opposing abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage.

Levada, an American who was formerly archbishop of San Francisco, earlier had called the face-to-face meeting in Rome critical. "Such a personal encounter allows for the opportunity to review the document together in a spirit of mutual respect and collaboration, hopefully thereby avoiding possible misunderstandings of the document’s intent and scope," he said in a statement at the time of the assessment.

"As the issues evidenced in the doctrinal assessment involve essential questions of faith, the Holy Father has given the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith a special mandate to collaborate with the (Leadership Conference of Women Religious) in a renewal of their work through a concentrated reflection on the doctrinal foundations of that work," Levada said.

The nuns' group said their leaders will return to the United States and discuss its options with members at their annual meeting in August.

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious was formed at the behest of the Vatican and is still under the auspices of the Holy See. One approach the nuns are said to be considering is the "nuclear option," with the sisters resigning en masse and forming a nonprofit group outside the Vatican's reach.

soundoff(702 Responses)

http://www.rollerblading.com.au/nfl4.html nfl jerseys from china 6. It is quite important to contact the local bar association in case you are not able to get in touch with a legal aid organization. You should, however, get all the basic information about the bar association beforehand.

Hey I feel you! Sometimes we dare not to say so much about ourselves, becasue someone nasty might use that against us and make us stumble on our very own words. But I guess in life we have to risk something, becasue if we don't, we never truly live. Keep up the good work~

August 1, 2012 at 12:37 am |

well said

women are delusional if they think they'll get any respect from a religious hierarchy. the existence of the nuns as an order has always saddened me. it's like no one ever told these people that they can do good without hitching their wagon to a limping, misogynist horse like the vatican.

If every convent in the world suddenly changed its name to "community and charity center," the work they do would go on, unchanged except where it was revitalized and freed from caustic, toxic dogma.

Does anyone really believe in "god" anymore, or do they just do religion because they got .it confused at an early age with "good?" (this excludes the priests and head-honchos. we know why THEY do it.. po.on.ta.ng).

The Vatican wanting nuns to OBEY the Pope, DO NOT REQUEST, DO NOT TALK about and DO NOT ACCEPT… DO NOT, NO, STOP AS IT IS AGAINST the doctrine of the Church.
Let me ask this of the Bishop and the Pope: Where would we be if these WOMEN OBEYED?
If Eve OBEYED and did not eat of the forbidden fruit, where would we be? Eve was not forbidden to eat the fruit; Adam was told DO NOT eat! Yet, he was made to rule over her why for he disobeyed a direct order of GOD. For two-millennium he never took responsibility saying the woman made me do it! Women were made guilty for our being out of Eden. In Eden, Eve had FREEDOM OF CHOICE; she chose knowledge of good and evil therefore Eve gave us WOMEN FREEDOM OF CHOICE and responsibility OF MAKING AN INFORMED DECISION. While Adam blindly and unthinkingly obeys WHO? Never obeyed God does not obey man and he takes away FREEDOM OF CHIOCE, BY SAYING I AM A MAN YOU MUST OBEY! Eating the fruit was not the sin the first MURDER was the MORTAL SIN. Hey ladies did you know it was a MAN who committed the first MORTAL sin as he killed his brother and did not take responsibility. He followed in his father’s footsteps by saying I am not my brother’s keeper when asked by God where is your brother? Truth, be told: WOMAN GIVES LIFE MAN TAKES IT AWAY.
If Miriam and Pharaoh’s daughter had listened and OBEYED Pharaoh, after all Pharaoh was a man of GOD. Moses would have been killed, what would have happened? NO MOSES! NO TORAH! NO JUDAISM! NO CHRISTIANITY! As we know it- truth, be told: “WOMEN SAVED MOSES AND CHRISTIANITY”
If Ruth and Naomi had OBEYED and refused to against the Curse. Moabites were cursed! Ruth followed her heart married a Hebrew, remained with her mother-in-law and gave her a grandson with Boaz. Ruth lifted the curse as she accepted the God of the Hebrews. Her grandson was David, the forefather of Jesus. Had Ruth OBEYED the curse NO MARY – NO JESUS – NO CHRISTIANITY!
Eve gave us FREEDOM of CHOICE MIRIAM AND Pharaoh’s DAUGHTER gave us the Torah and the law! Ruth lifted the disregarded the CURSE and gave us Jesus.
If I listened to priest and bishops and cardinals I never would have read the Bible as I was brought up Catholic yet, like my predecessor I rebelled read the Bible and thanked all those fine women who did NOT OBEY MAN BUT FOLLOWED THEIR HEART AND OBEYED GOD.

July 30, 2012 at 9:03 pm |

Prayer is not healthy for children and other living things

Prayer takes people away from actually working on real solutions to their problems.
Prayer has been shown to have no discernible effect towards what was prayed for.
Prayer makes you frothy like Rick Santorum. Just go to http://santorum.com to find out more.
Prayer prevents you from getting badly needed exercise.
Prayer makes you fat, pale, weak, and sedentary.
Prayer wears out your clothes prematurely.
Prayer contributes to global warming through excess CO2 emissions.
Prayer fucks up your knees and your neck and your back.
Prayer can cause heart attacks, especially among the elderly.
Prayer reveals how stupid you are to the world.
Prayer exposes your backside to pervert priests.
Prayer makes you think doilies are exciting.
Prayer makes you secretively flatulent and embarrassed about it.
Prayer makes your kids avoid spending time with you.
Prayer gives you knobbly knees.
Prayer dulls your senses.
Prayer makes you post really stupid shit.
Prayer makes you hoard cats.
Prayer makes you smell like shitty kitty litter and leads you on to harder drugs.
Prayer wastes time.

Prayer takes people away from actually working on real solutions to their problems.
Prayer has been shown to have no discernible effect towards what was prayed for.
Prayer makes you frothy like Rick Santorum. Just go to http://santorum.com to find out more.
Prayer prevents you from getting badly needed exercise.
Prayer makes you fat, pale, weak, and sedentary.
Prayer wears out your clothes prematurely.
Prayer contributes to global warming through excess CO2 emissions.
Prayer fucks up your knees and your neck and your back.
Prayer can cause heart attacks, especially among the elderly.
Prayer reveals how stupid you are to the world.
Prayer exposes your backside to pervert priests.
Prayer makes you think doilies are exciting.
Prayer makes you secretively flatulent and embarrassed about it.
Prayer makes your kids avoid spending time with you.
Prayer gives you knobbly knees.
Prayer makes you frothy like Rick Santorum. Just google him to find out.
Prayer dulls your senses.
Prayer makes you post really stupid shit.
Prayer makes you hoard cats.
Prayer makes you smell like shitty kitty litter and leads you on to harder drugs.
Prayer wastes time.

June 14, 2012 at 9:20 pm |

Errol

What is not healthy is the impending war between the christians and the christians. All the thousands of years and the persuit of "god like" stature among humans has taken it's tolll. We already know it will cause the falll of the Roman Catholic Church. The Baptists are already gearing up for the mass onslaught against the Baptists. I have yet to hear one story about the Agnostics taking a barrage of artillery shells fired at them from the Athiests. Who's health is in jeapordy?

June 15, 2012 at 6:37 am |

Jesus

Prayer doesn’t not; you are such a LIAR. You have NO proof it changes anything! A great example of prayer proven not to work is the Christians in jail because prayer didn't work and their children died. For example: Susan Grady, who relied on prayer to heal her son. Nine-year-old Aaron Grady died and Susan Grady was arrested.

An article in the Journal of Pediatrics examined the deaths of 172 children from families who relied upon faith healing from 1975 to 1995. They concluded that four out of five ill children, who died under the care of faith healers or being left to prayer only, would most likely have survived if they had received medical care.

The statistical studies from the nineteenth century and the three CCU studies on prayer are quite consistent with the fact that humanity is wasting a huge amount of time on a procedure that simply doesn’t work. Nonetheless, faith in prayer is so pervasive and deeply rooted, you can be sure believers will continue to devise future studies in a desperate effort to confirm their beliefs!

June 15, 2012 at 1:51 pm |

baj99

'Nuns gone wild' where can I pick up a copy?

June 14, 2012 at 6:45 pm |

clint whaley

At the Vatican and while your there look for the little girl that went in and never came out?

July 14, 2012 at 6:41 pm |

Tom

The pope better watch out, those nuns will bust his knuckles with their rulers.

Hmph. This is part of what gives religion a bad rap. A group of men have decided that these women have gotten too big for their britches. So they brought them in to "talk" about it..ridiculous. I hope those nuns do pull out and continue their works..They were not following doctrine? Who's doctrine? The doctrine of a group of men who through the centeries have repressed any and all they felt were a threat? Please. I say good for them...Faith and Belief isnt about toeing the line as a group of "all powerfull" men say to do..its about believing and putting your trust in that God is leading you to do his will. If they really were Godly men, what they "thought" wouldnt matter...it would be about Gods will..

June 14, 2012 at 3:19 pm |

Patricia C.Gilbert

Amy – I agree with your comment.....Christianity stands with the nuns.....the "old boy network" is on it's way out.

June 15, 2012 at 7:08 am |

Bill Deacon

Sorry Amy, it's not about boys vs girls. It's about the priority of doctrine over works. The short version is this: There is no social justice that does not first acknowledge the right to life. The nuns, in all their hard effort, have simply gotten the cart in front of the horse.

June 18, 2012 at 1:35 pm |

well said

"priority of doctrine" – you mean, the doctrine that women should shut up, have babies, and get back in the kitchen? THAT doctrine? Yeah, good luck convincing people that your precious "doctrine" is about ANYTHING except men's abuse and domination of women.

June 19, 2012 at 12:35 am |

clint whaley

priority of doctrine are you a prest ? In Nam we saw the nuns helping the wounded with bullets fling around. priority of doctrine.My butt. How many prist none they were back behind the lines of fire giving the last rights to the ones the nuns tried
to save. How many of them went to jail for abusing kids none. They went back to the vatican with thier own kind.

A few questions should help shed light on the relationship between religion and rational thought.

The completely absurd theory that all 7,000,000,000 human beings are simultaneously being supervised 24 hours a day, every day of their lives by an immortal, invisible being for the purposes of reward or punishment in the “afterlife” comes from the field of:

(a) Children’s fairytales;

(b) Medieval mythology;

(c) New age pseudo science; or

(d) Christianity

You are about 70% likely to believe the entire Universe began less than 10,000 years ago with only one man, one woman and a talking snake if you are a:

(a) historian;

(b) geologist;

(c) NASA astronomer; or

(d) Christian

I honestly believe that, when I think silent thoughts like, “please god, help me pass my exam tomorrow,” some invisible being is reading my mind and will intervene and alter what would otherwise be the course of history in small ways to help me. I am

(a) a delusional schizophrenic;

(b) a naïve child, too young to know that that is silly

(c) an ignorant farmer from Sudan who never had the benefit of even a fifth grade education; or

(d) your average Christian

I have convinced myself that gay $ex is a choice and not genetic, but then have no explanation as to why only gay people have ho.mo$exual urges. I am

(a) A gifted psychologist

(b) A well respected geneticist

(c) A highly educated sociologist

(d) A Christian with the remarkable ability to ignore inconvenient facts.

Millions and millions of Catholics believe that bread and wine turns into the actual flesh and blood of a dead Jew from 2,000 years ago because:

(a) there are obvious visible changes in the condiments after the Catholic priest does his hocus pocus;

I believe that an all powerful being, capable of creating the entire cosmos watches me have $ex to make sure I don’t do anything “naughty”. I am

(a) A victim of child molestation

(b) A r.ape victim trying to recover

(c) A mental patient with paranoid delusions

(d) A Christian

The only discipline known to often cause people to kill others they have never met and/or to commit suicide in its furtherance is:

(a) Architecture;

(b) Philosophy;

(c) Archeology; or

(d) Religion

What is it that most differentiates science and all other intellectual disciplines from religion:

(a) Religion tells people not only what they should believe, but what they are morally obliged to believe on pain of divine retribution, whereas science, economics, medicine etc. has no “sacred cows” in terms of doctrine and go where the evidence leads them;

(b) Religion can make a statement, such as “there is a composite god comprised of God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit”, and be totally immune from experimentation and challenge, whereas science can only make factual assertions when supported by considerable evidence;

(c) Science and the scientific method is universal and consistent all over the World whereas religion is regional and a person’s religious conviction, no matter how deeply held, is clearly nothing more than an accident of birth; or

(d) All of the above.

If I am found wandering the streets flagellating myself, wading into a filth river, mutilating my child’s genitals or kneeling down in a church believing that a being is somehow reading my inner thoughts and prayers, I am likely driven by:

(a) a deep psychiatric issue;

(b) an irrational fear or phobia;

(c) a severe mental degeneration caused by years of drug abuse; or

(d) my religious belief.

Who am I? I don’t pay any taxes. I never have. Any money my organization earns is tax free and my own salary is also tax free, at the federal, state and local level. Despite contributing nothing to society, but still enjoying all its benefits, I feel I have the right to tell others what to do. I am

(a) A sleazy Wall Street banker

(b) A mafia boss

(c) A drug pusher; or

(d) A Catholic Priest, Protestant Minister or Jewish Rabbi.

What do the following authors all have in common – Jean Paul Sartre, Voltaire, Denis Diderot, Victor Hugo, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Immanuel Kant, David Hume, René Descartes, Francis Bacon, John Milton, John Locke, and Blaise Pascal:

(a) They are among the most gifted writers the World has known;

(b) They concentrated on opposing dogma and opening the human mind and spirit to the wonders of free thought and intellectual freedom;

(c) They were intimidated by the Catholic Church and put on the Church’s list of prohibited authors; or

(d) All of the above.

The AIDS epidemic will kill tens of millions in poor African and South American countries before we defeat it. Condoms are an effective way to curtail its spread. As the Pope still has significant influence over the less educated masses in these parts of the World, he has exercised this power by:

(a) Using some of the Vatican’s incomprehensible wealth to educate these vulnerable people on health family planning and condom use;

(b) Supporting government programs that distribute condoms to high risk groups;

(c) Using its myriad of churches in these regions to distribute condoms; or

(d) Scaring people into NOT using condoms, based upon his disdainful and aloof view that it is better that a person die than go against the Vatican’s position on contraceptive use.

June 13, 2012 at 11:46 pm |

Calvin

Brilliant!

June 14, 2012 at 10:13 am |

Bill Deacon

And atheist say Christians don't know their theology. Bravo Russ

June 13, 2012 at 4:12 pm |

Jack

Hello. Everyone is invited to visit thestarofkaduri.com

June 13, 2012 at 12:53 pm |

AGuest9

The pope turns, grins and says "Nuns, no sense of humor."

June 13, 2012 at 9:02 am |

Bhupendra

I pray that I am the next winner of the Mega Millions Lottery Jackpot! I have many poeple in my life, including myself and my wonderful husband, who will all benefit from my winnings, not to mention all the unknown poeple I desire to help. I release all blocks and guardians that cause me to feel selfish in desiring money for myself, as well as any blocks and guardians blocking the flow of prosperity in my life! I pray for my winnings so that I can feel the joy and sense of security that comes with complete financial freedom, as well as the warm, bubbling happiness that comes from helping those I love so very much! I command myself to open completely to receive these winnings and I command the universal energies to make it so! I am extremely grateful for all the wonderful poeple, things and situations in my life and I desire for them to multiply 1000 fold, for the highest good of all! I desire help from all the beings of light to make this desire a reality in this physical life NOW!!! I have the power inside me to bring EVERYTHING I desire into my life, and right now, in this moment, I choose to bring the next Mega Millions Lottery Jackpot winnings into my life!!! So it is! And I AM

July 30, 2012 at 4:47 am |

Silent Claw

I fuckin hate nuns and the vatican.

June 13, 2012 at 8:18 am |

JellyBean@Silent Claw

I second you on that! Also include Catholic priests.

June 13, 2012 at 9:03 am |

Bill Deacon

We pray for you constantly

June 13, 2012 at 4:08 pm |

well said

bill – i pray constantly that you choke, but it looks like god's just not coming through for either of us, is he?

June 19, 2012 at 12:26 am |

Reality

As good Catholics, said nuns and Vatican believe in angels thereby making both groups impossible to take seriously. See below:

THE INFAMOUS ANGELIC CONS CONTINUE TO WREAK STUPIDITY UPON THE WORLD

Joe Smith had his Moroni. (As does M. Romney)

"Latter-day Saints like M. Romney also believe that Michael the Archangel was Adam (the first man) when he was mortal, and Gabriel lived on the earth as Noah."

Jehovah Witnesses have their Jesus /Michael the archangel, the first angelic being created by God;

Mohammed had his Gabriel (this "tin-kerbell" got around).

Jesus and his family had/has Michael, Gabriel, and Satan, the latter being a modern day demon of the demented. (As does BO and his family)

The Abraham-Moses myths had their Angel of Death and other "no-namers" to do their dirty work or other assorted duties.

Contemporary biblical and religious scholars have relegated these "pretty wingie/horn-blowing thingies" to the myth pile. We should do the same to include deleting all references to them in our religious operating manuals. Doing this will eliminate the prophet/profit/prophecy status of these founders and put them where they belong as simple humans just like the rest of us.

Added references to "tink-erbells" are available upon request.

June 13, 2012 at 7:32 am |

truth

2 Timothy 3 >>
New Living Translation

5They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

6They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence ofa vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. 7(Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth.) 8These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith. 9But they won’t get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as with Jannes and Jambres

June 13, 2012 at 3:46 am |

Reality

The Timothy epistles, as per most contemporary NT scholars were not written by Paul therefore there is none of the so called divine inspiration in these books.

June 13, 2012 at 7:35 am |

Russ

@ Reality: again, "most NT scholars" is an exaggeration.

Per the scholars who put together the ESV, here are their opening notes on the Pastoral Epistles (which point out some of the flaws in the deutero-Pauline argument):

*********

The first verse of 1 Timothy clearly states that Paul is the author, and this was universally affirmed until the nineteenth century. In the last 200 years a significant shift has occurred in biblical scholarship so that many today deny that Paul actually wrote 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, or Ti.tus. Critics point to ways in which these three letters (the “Pastoral Epistles”) differ from Paul’s other letters in style, vocabulary, theology, church order, and the way in which Paul is portrayed. However, the differences in theology and church order, for example, are typically overstated based on a particular reading of Paul’s earlier letters, and based on the effect of reading these three letters as a unit rather than individually (as the rest of Paul’s letters are read). For example, some claim that the Pastoral Epistles picture a much more structured church with an emphasis on church officers (esp. elders and deacons) rather than the dynamic, Spirit-directed church in Paul’s other letters. This overstates the evidence of both groups of letters in opposite directions. Elders are mentioned as early as Paul’s first missionary journey (Acts 14:21–23), and Philippians is addressed to the “overseers and deacons” of the church in Philippi (Phil. 1:1). Furthermore, difference in style and vocabulary is not unusual for a creative mind, especially considering that these letters differ from the other letters in purpose, subject matter, and audience, these being the only ones written to coworkers.

Additionally, it is problematic to argue that these works were written under a false name since the early church clearly excluded from the apostolic canon any works they thought to be pseudonymous. While critics point to the common practice of pseudonymous writing in the ancient world, they usually fail to point out that this practice, though common in the culture, was not common in personal letters, and was categorically rejected by the early church (cf. 2 Thess. 2:2; 3:17; also Muratorian Canon 64–67; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 6.12.3). Tertullian (c. a.d. 160–225) wrote that when it was discovered that a church elder had composed a pseudonymous work, The Acts of Paul (which included a purported Pauline letter, 3 Corinthians), the offending elder “was removed from his office” (On Baptism 17). Accepting as Scripture letters that lie about their origin is also a significant ethical problem. Thus, there is a good basis for affirming the straightforward claim of these letters as authentically written by Paul.

June 13, 2012 at 3:49 pm |

Reality

As starters about psuedo Pauls:

1. Professor/Father Raymond Brown in his book, An Introduction to the New Testament, p. 639, 654, 673, 684 (The book has both a Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur from the Catholic Church),

The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.